Damper.



PATENTED APR. 10, 1906.

J, 11. MOGORD. DAMPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYB. 1905.

Attorneys JAMES RUFUS MoCORD OF JACKSON, GEORGIA.

DAMPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 10, 1906.

Application filed May 8, 1905. Serial No. 259,466.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES RUFUS MoConD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Butts and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Damper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dampers, more particularly to the dampers employed in connection with fireplace-grates, and has for its object to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and convenience of operation of devices of this character.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the inventi on is better understood, the same consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the preferred form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, as various changes in the shape, proportions, and general assemblage of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the drawings thus employed, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fireplace-grate and its surrounding parts with the improvements applied. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the improved damper and its attachments removed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged end view, and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail, of the damper-operating mechanism. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the damper and one of its pintles.

The damper herein disclosed is designed more particularly for use in connection with. fireplace-grates and for the purpose of illustration is shown applied to a conventional structure of this class, 10 representing the chimney, having the smoke-flue 11, and with the grate-frame 12, mantel 13, and grate 14. The frame 12 is provided with an overhang ing hood 15, and formed through this hood at opposite sides are apertures to receive circular sockets 16 17, the sockets having ribs 18 19, respectively, on their inner ends to prevent them from passing entirely through the hood-walls and are provided With longitudinal apertures preferably other than circular in cross-section.

The damper comprises a plate 20, having spaced keepers 21, and a longitudinal rib 22 along one edge next to the keepers, the apertures through the keepers being preferably other than circular and corresponding in form to the apertures through the sockets 16 17. Pintles 23 24, conforming in crosssection to the apertures through the keepers and sockets, are engaged therewith, the outer ends of the pintles extending through the keepers and sockets, as represented. The pintles thus form coupling means between the damper and the frame of the grate, and by rotating the same the damper may be adjusted to any required extent. The pintles are secured from longitudinal movement in the keepers and sockets by set-screws, one of which is shown at 25 in Fig. 6.

A handle 26 is attached to the extended end of the pintle 24 and provided with a longitudinal cavity 27, in which a pawl 28 is pivoted at 29 and held yieldably in engagement by a spring 30 with a toothed segment 31, fast to the frame 12 of the grate, the handle 26 also having a keeper 32 bearing over the segmental member to retain it in position and prevent displacement when in operation.

The damper member when open rests upon the brickwork 33 at the rear of the grate, as shown in Fig. 2, thus leaving the passage to the flue 11 entirely unobstructed, and when adjusted by the handle 26 it is obvious that the draft may be shut off to any required extent. The damper member 20 does not entirely shut off the draft when fully closed, as

the damper-plate is semicircular in outline,

as shown in Fig. 3, while the interior of the hood 15 is oblong, leaving contracted apertures at each end for the escape of the smoke and flame, the damper, as is usual in such devices, being designed to check the draft and not to shut it oil entirely.

By this means it is obvious that the damper will be rotated with the circular sockets 16 17 by adjusting the handle 26 and can be retained at any desired adjusted position by permitting thepawl 28 to engage any one of the teeth on the segment 31. Thus any desired degree of draft may be obtained and the combustion controlled as required.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is 1. In a fireplace-heater, a semicircular hood having alined bearings in its ends, sleeves r0- tative in said bearings and with stop-ribs on recesses in said pintles and an operating-ham the inner ends bearing against the inner faces l dle upon one of said pintles. of the hood and with rectangular longitudinal 3. In a fireplace-heater, a semicircular hood apertures, a damper extending across the dishaving alined bearings in its ends, sleeves rocharge flue of said fireplace and provided tative in said bearings and with stop-ribs on with spaced keepers having rectangular aplthe inner ends bearing. against the inner faces ertures, rectangular pintles extending through of the hood and with rectangular longitudinal the apertures in said sleeves and keepers, and apertures, a damper extending across the disan operating-handle attached to one of said charge-flue of said fireplace and provided pintles. with spaced keepers having rectangular aper- 2. In a fireplace-heater, a semicircular hood having alined hearings in its ends, sleeves rotative in said bearings and with stop-ribs on the inner ends bearing against the inner faces of the hood and with rectangular longitudinal apertures, a damper extending across the discharge flue of said fireplace and provided with spaced keepers having rectangular apertures and with spaced threaded apertures through the body of the dam er, rectangular pintles extending through t e apertures in said sleeves and in said keepers and provided withrecesses for registering with said threaded apertures, stop screws disposed in said threaded apertures and extending into the the apertures in said sleeves and keepers, an operating-handle attached to one of said pintles and provided with a spring-actuated awl, and a segmental frame attached to said fireplace and provided with ratchet-teeth in the path of said pawl.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES RUFUS MGCORD.

Witnesses:

R. R. MoCoRD, M. O. MoCoRn.

tures, rectangular pintles extending through 

